New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcebchro’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcebchro’, characterized by its cherry red-colored flowers; upright and mounded plant habit; good basal branching; and dark green leaves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Balcebchro.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact cultivars with freely-branching growth habit, numerous large flowers, and attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens orginated from a cross made by the Inventor of the proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 3177 as the male, or pollen parent, with the proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 693 as the female, or seed parent. The cultivar Balcebchro was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif., in 1996. Plants of new impatiens differ primarily from the parent selections in flower color.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Arroyo Grande, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Balcebchro’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Balcebchro’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Cherry red-colored flowers.

2. Upright and mounded plant habit.

3. Good basal branching.

4. Dark green leaves.

The new Impatiens can be compared to the cultivar, BFP-368 Rose, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,532. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif., plants of the new Impatiens differ from plants of the cultivar BFP-368 Rose in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the Impatiens are slightly taller than plants of the cultivar BFP-368 Rose.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens are shorter and have longer petioles than leaves of plants of the cultivar BFP-368 Rose.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens is more orange (warmer) than the flower color of plants of the cultivar BFP-368 Rose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actual colors of the new Impatiens. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Balcebchro’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Balcebchro has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe plants about 10 weeks after planting rooting cuttings and grown in 10-cm pots in West Chicago, Ill., under commercial practice in a double-layered acrylic-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 21° C., night temperatures about 19° C., and light levels about 2,500 to 3,500 footcandles.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Balcebchro.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 3177, not patented.

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 693, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days with 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 21 days with 18° C.

Rooting description.—Fibrous, fine, freely branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Upright and mounded.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Good basal branching, dense and bushy growth. Appropriate for 10 and 12.5-cm containers.

Crop time.—About 8 to 10 weeks are required to produce a finished flowering plant from a rooted cutting.

Plant height.—About 14.3 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 16.5 cm.

Lateral branches.—Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm. Color: 144A overlaid with 184A.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical abundant, in whorls or opposite. Length: About 9.4 cm. Width: About 3.4 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate with ciliation. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Between 147B and 147C. Venation, upper surface: Midvein, 184A; lateral veins, 144A. Venation, lower surface: 144A. Petiole: Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 144A overlaid with 184C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Cherry red-colored flowers. Freely and continuously flowering. Flowers arise from leaf axils. Usually about nine flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positioned mostly above the foliage and typically face upright and outward. Flowers roughly rounded in shape. Flowers persistent.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden, flowering is continuous from spring until fall.

Flower size.—About 6.2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 53B.

Petals.—Quantity: Five, imbricate. Length: Upper petal, about 2.9 cm; lower petals, about 3.4 cm. Width: Upper petal, about 4.8 cm; lower petals, about 3.8 cm. Shape: Obovate to obcordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth. Color: Fully opened, upper surface: Close to and more orange than 53B. Fully opened, lower surface: 52A.

Spur.—Length: About 4.4 cm. Shape: Narrow and curved. Color: 185A; 144C towards apex.

Peduncles.—Length: About 3.9 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Color: 144C overlaid with 184A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five, anthers fused, filaments free. Anther shape: Obovate. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Gynoecium: Five-loculate fused. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: 144C. Stigma color: 144D. Ovary color: 144A.

Disease resistance: Under commercial conditions, resistance to pathogens common to New Guinea Impatiens has not been observed.

Seed development: Seed production has not been observed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcebchro’, as illustrated and described. 